


Stolen Paradise

by RabbiBunnu



Category: Original Work
Genre: Baby, Demons, Fantasy, Fiction, Gen, Magic, OC, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Story - Freeform, Original work - Freeform, aw man this story is like four years old and im only writing for it now, but hey whos gonna fight me, not you, rabbibunnu, rabuubunni, stolen paradise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-12-01 21:47:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20909051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RabbiBunnu/pseuds/RabbiBunnu
Summary: Charlie finds herself in a world where things are unknown to our own reality, with no memory of how she got there or even why. Her only goal is to get back home, to find a way out of this twisting rabbit hole. With her very own reluctant navigator, it should only take a few weeks, but she finds herself stuck.**not yet completed**





	1. A Clearing

**Author's Note:**

> Aight here we go lads, my chapters are a bit shorter compared to other writers but I (hopefully) update more often! This is a story I've had in my head for at least four years, and my original plan was to make it into a comic, but I never found enough motivation,,, this is good enough for me

Everything was numb, then it hurt. Really bad. Charlie let out a low groan as she shifted against the ground, dragging her forearms to her chest so she could push herself into a limp sitting position. She couldn’t see, everywhere she looked was a blur of color, her legs just a black shadow surrounded by green freckled with white and yellow. _ Oh right. Glasses. _ She felt around blindly until her hand hit something hard, a rock? No, her backpack. She dragged the near empty bag to where she sat, continuing to grasp blindly at the ground until she felt the thin frame of her glasses under her hands. She delicately replaced them on her face, her expression contorting into discomfort as she took them off again, carefully cleaning the lenses with the end of her shirt before placing the round spectacles back on. 

Charlie shakily pushed herself up to stand, her legs feeling like they’ve been crushed under a nonexistent weight, along with the rest of her body. With her renewed vision she turned in a slow circle to scan her surroundings, her brows furrowing with what she saw. The trees wound around her in a circle, the sun shining through the lush leaves to place beams of light on the soft patches of green grass. Yellow and white daisies freckled the grass where she stood, feathering off into nothing as the underbrush took over the ground deeper in the woods. She didn’t remember going into a forest. In fact, she could barely remember what happened_ before _ she woke up, much less how she ended up unconscious in a clearing. “How in the world..? _ Why? _” she muttered to herself, slinging her backpack over her shoulders and starting towards the forest. There was no one to talk to, and she just wanted to get home, so she figured she might as well get going.

Charlie trudged through the thick shrubbery, ducking under low hanging branches and side stepping thorns that threatened to tear at her clothes. She muttered curses under her breath as she moved through the thickest part of the woods, finally being able to walk normally when the trees spaced out and ground cleared slightly. She continued to walk briskly through the forest, staggering to a slower pace when a chilled breeze blew small white flecks around her. She lifted her eyes from the ground, where they had been glued to as she traveled, up to the glistening trees of white before her. The sky was blocked by the treetops, still lush with leaves but coated in a thick layer of snow. The ground shared the same atmosphere, the earth being dusted in the white powder as well. Charlie walked slowly into the sudden change of environment, glancing behind her to where the trees were still shining in the golden sun, still green and untouched by white. Her sneakers blew the powdered snow away with each step, her hands tucking away in her hoodie pockets in preparation for the expected temperature drop. Though it never happened; besides a slightly chiller wind, the temperature stayed the same. 

  
After nearly thirty minutes of walking, Charlie could feel her legs starting to give in under her own weight, her lungs stinging with each breath. How long had she been walking? It must’ve been hours, hours of her walking like this. It was freezing, yet scolding hot at the same time. She was hungry and tired, and just wanted to rest. _ Sleep _. She made her way to a tree, dropping her backpack to the ground and leaning heavily against the trunk, letting out a heaving breath as she slid down to sit on the cool ground. She set her head back, her breathing slowing to a gentle relaxed pace. She stared up at the glistening trees, the snow falling slowly around her as the feeling of exhaustion grew. Her eyelids felt heavier as she rested, her eyes sliding shut as she slipped into a blank dreamless sleep.


	2. The Pale Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two!! It's my boy, my lad, the man himself. He's one of my faves :)

He walked silently through the woods, his crossbow strapped securely to his back as he peered through the blanket of night. Even though white coated the trees and ground, the entire forest was painted black, the moonlight not being able to reach through the treetops. He suddenly stopped as something caught his eye, a being, laying against a tree. His brows knit together as a feeling so rare it felt foreign jabbed him in the chest, yet he ignored it, pulling his one working eye away from the sight. It’s not his problem, they’re the one who passed out in the woods, not him, it’s not his duty to help them. Still he found his eye wandering back to the limp figure, realizing he hadn’t walked away yet. With a begrudged sigh he stalked over to the person, crouching down to inspect them first. A child? Teenager at most, probably closer to fifteen or eighteen. Assumingly unarmed, and mildly intoxicated. He set a hand on their shoulder, far from gentle, mostly cautious as this person could shoot a bullet to his head at any moment. To his relief he was not met with a gun to the face but a shrill shriek as the child jumped nearly a foot off the ground, throwing themselves away from him and onto their back. 

He briskly stood up, holding his arms firmly by his sides in slight defense. “What are you doing in the forest at night? It’s rather unwise for someone your age to be unattended this late, especially considering what this place is littered with.” he said lowly and evenly, glaring the child down. Charlie scuttled backwards, staring up at the dark figure looming above her. He wore a cape that draped loosely over his form, beige fur lining the end which nearly touched the ground, the same fur creating a collar of fluff around his neck. He appeared to wear a simple grey button up with black pants, an oversized belt clinging to his narrow hips. A coil of rope was hooked to one side of the belt, a seemingly handmade pouch hooked to the other. Her eyes dragged up to his face, a chill of fear rising up her spine as she attempted to make out his features. His face was drowned out by a dark shadow created by the large hat he wore, the only thing she could properly make out was his lips pressed into a thin, agitated line and a single illuminated red eye. Her gaze flashed between the two sides of his face, comparing the completely red orb with what appeared to be a hole where his other eye should sit, a thin line of black dragging down his cheek and splitting to create a _ ‘h’ _shape. It almost looked like a crack in his cheek. 

Charlie flinched when he cleared his throat, repeating himself. “Why are you in the forest at night.” his voice was much harsher, a command instead of a question now. She stammered as she attempted an answer, realizing she must have been staring. His eye narrowed, pressing Charlie to scoot back further. “I- I’m just- I wasn’t--” she paused, forcing herself to stand, hoping that would help to make her feel less like she was at gunpoint. 

Once she stood, she could gauge how tall the man actually was, which was taller than herself, that’s for sure. She guessed at least 5’9, maybe 6 foot. It was a bit hard to tell with his hat. “I’m lost, I think. I just sorta woke up in the forest, if you know where a path is I could just go that way and.. leave. Do you know where Dorn is? The city?” she asked hopefully, maybe he could at least point her the direction home. She watched his face contort into slight confusion, then his eye widen in what appeared to be surprise..? Concern? It was very difficult to decipher the few emotions he’s expressed so far. 

“Dorn?” he asked slowly, “there’s no City Dorn here, nowhere near here. I don’t believe it’s even on the maps.” his voice was confused, yet still firm. This guy seemed to refuse to show any hint of weakness. “Not on the maps? But it has to be! There’s no way I got so far away from home that it’s not even on the maps!” Charlie said in distress, her arms flopping out by her sides. The man took a step back, his eye widening for a second before narrowing in suspicion. “Well, it would have been on the maps in your world..” he said as his hand moved up to rest a palm on his jaw. “But not this one, not ours.” he said, watching Charlie stand a bit taller in interest, her brows furrowing in confusion. “Where are you from? What year, day? How did you get here in the first place?” he fired off questions before Charlie finished processing what he said before. _ Her world? What is this guy talking about? _“I uh- I’m from City Dorn, I’ve already said that.. And uh..” she paused, her expression shifting from thought, to confusion to hidden panic.

The man took a small step forward, leaning down so he was closer to Charlies height, though the action just made it so he was looming over her. “Do you not remember? You seem panicked, or afraid.” Charlie took a large intentional step back, giving the looming shadow of a man a sharp glare. “Maybe cause you keep pressing personal information outta me! Back off dude, just direct me where I need to go and I’ll get out of your hair.” she said, annoyed at this strangers need for basic knowledge, he should know what year and day it was, why would he be asking her? Maybe she should be asking him instead, just to show him how annoying it is. Yeah, just to show him. 

“What.. what year and day is it for you? Why would you be asking me, shouldn’t you know?” Charlie asked, shoving her hands in her pockets. He raised a brow, a small frown pulling at the neutral expression he’s been wearing since he’s started talking to her. “Time is.. irrelevant here. Yes, years pass but no one advances the same way. There’s no need to, each section of the map is a bit different, both in environment and in era. So I am unable to answer your question other than it’s the present.” 

Charlie's eyes widened, her brows knitting together in confusion. "What do you mean? Where am I even supposed to be, what messed up place is this?!" Her next sentence was cut off before she could begin, her mouth being pressed shut by a gloved hand. "Quiet! You'll alarm the demons!" The man hissed, dragging Charlie closer by her arm, his hand still pressed to her mouth. She struggled for a moment before stilling and shoving his hand off, hissing back at him in a low whisper. "What the hell are you talking about?? Demons?" The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Well, now she knows he has one. "Yes, demons. What I'm most concerned about is the altered creatures here, they've been multiplying in the past few weeks. Your extraordinarily loud voice most likely attracted some, so follow me. It's best not to stay still here." He growled, dragging Charlie behind him. She staggered forward, hastily grabbing her backpack as she was yanked along. His strides were long and brisk, equally at least three of Charlie's shuffled steps. She adjusted to his speed, taking longer more frequent steps to keep pace. "Altered creatures? Demons? You are aware you sound super crazy right now, right? Can you please explain, and let go while you're at it!" she snapped at him, sliding her backpack on. 

The man offered an annoyed glare, his red eye narrowing significantly. He curtly let go of her arm, tucking his arms behind his back. Charlie swore he sped up as his gaze returned to his path, earning an exasperated huff from the girl. "To you maybe, but it's common knowledge to the few residents here that the Pale Forest is littered with radioactive creatures, and it's not uncommon to find lost demons wandering about trying to find a host." He muttered, stating everything as if it was common knowledge, which Charlie supposed was true at this point. After a moment of silence, her eyes widened. “Radioactive? Like, in movies?” she asked, fear creeping into her voice. She was starting to believe the crazy things this man was telling her. He turned his head towards her at the question, raising a brow. “Well yes, I said they were radioactive. No one is quite sure why, everyone you ask will have a different answer. That aside though, you're quite lucky I took pity on you, or the spores would've killed you from the inside out. I’m assuming you’re human, so wearing no ventilation gear would bring you your death within a few hours.” he said evenly, pursing his lips as a realization came to him. “Speaking of which, I don't want to be dragging your corpse out of the forest before I get out..” he muttered, swiftly pressing a rag against Charlie’s mouth. 

Charlie stumbled backwards as he pressed the cloth against her mouth, instinctively holding her breath as she yanked his arm away. The rag floated to the ground, her gaze following it before snapping up to the annoyed expression of the man. “What the heck?! Jeez, stop covering my mouth! For all I know that could’ve had chlorophyll on it or something. I’ll be fine, if you’re ok I’ll be too.” The man stopped walking, squinting at her in annoyance. “I was_ trying _ to _ help _ you.” he said, his jaw set firmly. “I’m not human, this doesn’t affect me. Now,” he grumbled lowly, looming over Charlie as he held one arm out, his cape opening like a sail with it. “I would rather not drag your rotting corpse from the woods. I don’t like touching dead things.” he growled, tearing a strip of his cape off, making sure Charlie saw. She stared at him, her gaze shifting from his face to his cape, nervously watching the strip of fabric as he stepped over and tied it over her nose and mouth. When he stepped away, she blinked, touching a hand to the piece of cloth. She didn’t pass out, to her relief, she actually felt better; the weight in her legs lifted slightly, her lungs no longer stinging horribly with each breath and her vision cleared. She didn’t even realize she was impaired until it went away, though some of the pain remained. “Woah.. I- the _ forest _ did that?” she asked, jogging to catch up with the dark figure, not realizing they stopped walking. “Yes, it did. It will still continue to eat you from the inside out, so you better keep pace.” he replied, the grit in his voice fading so he was back to his monotone way of speech.   


Charlie was going to respond, but cut herself off before she started, she didn’t want a tall looming demon man cursing at her for saying something he didn’t like. So she kept walking, limiting her breaths regardless of her fast pace to keep up with her company's long strides. It was going to be a boring walk.


	3. Flightless Wings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mystery mans name is revealed in this chapter :0

After close to an hour of silently traveling Charlie began to tire, her pace stalling behind the cloaked person next to her. His strides were even and brisk the entire time, she wasn’t even sure if she could see him breathing. “Hey, uh.. hat guy, you happen to be tired? Or at least know how much longer I’ll have to go, because I’m not really vibing with walking this much.” she mumbled, glancing in his direction. The man flinched slightly, having forgotten about her existence. “Oh, you’re  _ still  _ here. There's a path up ahead, but we’re still a while away. Once you get there you can figure out what to do yourself, I’m just leading you there.” Charlie huffed, a bit annoyed that’s all he’s giving her. She nodded still, tucking her hands in her pockets and looking over to him again with a realization. She still doesn’t know his name yet. “..Hey, I was just wondering, what’s your name? I mean, I don’t really know you but I would like to call you something other than hat guy.” she said with a huffed laugh, watching him purse his lips at the option. “I’m Charlie, if that makes you feel any better.” she offered, just wanting something to call this guy. 

He pursed his lips further, pressing them into a thin line of uncertainty. He didn’t know if he could trust her, if she would go off and reveal his location to some enemy. His expression settled when he remembered his enemy already  _ knows  _ his location,  _ and  _ his name. Plus, she gave him hers, so he could always betray her if needed. “My name is Classified.. that's all.” he muttered slowly, carefully watching her for any signs that she had accomplished a goal or was sending that information elsewhere. He picked up on nothing, and her heart rate stayed the same so he relaxed slightly, letting his arms fall to his sides. “Classified?” she asked, and he replied with a nod. “Dude, I told you my name, you can tell me yours.” Classified blinked, stalling for a moment. “My name is Classified, I told you.”  _ Oh no, not this. _ “There’s no way your name is classified, how would I use just your name against you? It’s not like its special information.” she muttered, glaring at him. Classified groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. This always happens, it’s going to give him a headache. “No,  _ listen _ . My name, and I mean it, is  _ literally  _ Classified. That is my name, the title to call me. It's not something secret, I’m not making a joke, my name is Classified.” he spoke slowly like he was speaking to a child, letting Charlie take in each word. She blinked a few times, glancing to the ground then back to him, taking in a breath before bursting out in laughter, staggering slightly as she walked. “That’s actually your name? Seriously?? Your parents must’ve really hated you if they decided to name you classified! Please don’t tell me your last name is information, no no, actually that’d be really funny.” she heaved in a breath, her cheeks flushing from lack of oxygen. Classified just stopped walking, staring at her deadpan as she went manic over his name. He sighed, “Yes, that’s actually my name. And I don’t have a surname, Classified is where it ends.” he grumbled, his eye twitching from agitation. Every. Damn. Time. He’s stopped giving the bartender a name at this point, it always took too long. The mention of parents bothered him for some reason, even though he  _ knew  _ it shouldn’t. He doesn’t have parents, at least in his memory. He pushed the twinge of pain to the back of his mind, he’ll take care of it later, probably at the bar. 

Charlie was doubled over, wheezing silently when she felt the hood of her sweatshirt being yanked, forcing her to stumble along the ‘snow’. She recovered quickly, Classified releasing her and continuing forward with an irritated frown. “Aw come on, lighten up, it’s funny! You’ve got a dumb name, embrase that man.” she chuckled, grinning up at the cloaked fellow. He only responded with a low grunt, barely acknowledging her existence. Charlie took that as a que to quiet down, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She only now realised the makeshift bandana she was given was gone, lost in the white powder behind her during her laughing fit. She pulled her hoodie up over her nose, turning to Classified with a nervous laugh. “Uh.. Classified? I lost my bandana thingy, do you have ano-” her sentence was broken with a yelp as her body was roughly shoved backwards, causing her to stumble into nearby bushes. Charlie pushed herself back up, her eyes wide with confusion. “Dude! What the heck?!” she yelled, her voice fading away quickly when she saw Classified be shoved to the ground, a pained groan coming from him as he hit the hard earth. Her eyes flashed to the being who caused it, skidding against the ground a few feet away from him as they landed. They were nearly unrecognizable, their face masked with a copper gas mask and their body blocked out by a warm brown cape that was clasped shut. Thick fur lined the collar, a maroon fabric draped over one shoulder. The being stood up, pointing a machete at Classified’s crumpled body. Charlie’s eye’s were dragged from the threatening balde to their back, where one wing stretched outward, flapping a few times before folding flat against their back. Where another wing should’ve been was simply the structure for one, down feathers covering bone. The long flight feathers that usually built up the body and shape were gone, leaving a thin rod to awkwardly fold with the other full wing. She stood against the trees, staring at the two in confusion. She could get by a red eye, maybe it was contacts. But  _ wings _ ? That was unnatural, impossible. They moved so fluently and with the motions of the being, it was like they  _ belonged  _ to them.

Classified curled up slightly, groaning as the thunder in his head worsened. He felt the point of a blade press into the rim of his hat, his eye widening as he remembered  _ why  _ he was laying on the ground in pain. He scuttled backwards as the blade struck into the ground where his head had been, he knew who was attacking him before he looked, but he did so for good measure. The avaian, as expected, was attempting to tug their blade from the hard ground. He could sense their spike of anxiety as he pulled himself up to stand, easily towering over them. He stands at 6’1, while his struggling enemy was 5’4. He let out an empty laugh, stalking over to the panicked avain, curtly grabbing the hilt of their blade over their own hand, gripping it tightly so they couldn’t pull away. He watched as they slowly looked up, the large eyes of the mask  _ perfectly  _ portraying what he knew the birds expression to be. Regret and fear. “Lovely job, Bounty. Next time try to leave me alone, I never look forward to your company, as much as I  _ know  _ you love visiting me.” he sneered, leaning forward so the brim of his hat cast a shadow over their small form.

Bounty struggled to lean back, frantically looking around for something they could do. They opted to lift their knee to their chest, swiftly pounding their boot into the stomach of the looming man. He stumbled back with a grunt, letting go of their hand as he doubled over and wrapped his arms around his abdomen. Bounty let themselves have a moment of pride before bracing their feet against the ground to yank the blade from the earth. The sudden release caused them to trip backwards, their balance suddenly thrown off. They immediately moved to strike at Classified, he was weakened and distracted for once. They opened their wings slightly as they moved quickly towards him, lifting the blade above their head to swing down. Once the blade lowered it gained velocify, moving faster towards their targets head. They shut their eyes tightly as they swung, cringing when they felt it lodge into something hard, breaking through a thick layer with a loud crack and remaining stuck. Before the avain could open their eyes again, their head now facing the ground, they felt the hilt of their machete be roughly yanked from their grasp. The bird quickly opened their eyes, only to be met with the butt of their blade hitting the thick glass of their goggles. They stumbled backwards, landing on their back. The hilt was repeatedly rammed against their head, making them disoriented. Their arm attempted to move up to protect their face, but was pinned down, so they simply subdued to the attack, knowing they can’t escape. What confused them the  _ most  _ was that Classified should be  _ dead  _ by now, he  _ shouldn’t  _ have been able to pull their machete out of their hands and rut it against their head like he was trying to break open a barrel. Suddenly the clunking of leather against metal ended, the sound of a sharp blade being struck into the ground next to their head filling their ears for a second. After a moment of silence, and their arm still not being released, they reluctantly opened their eyes, their brows furrowed when they were met with a fuming young girl instead of the expected looming figure. 

Charlie pressed her shoe firmly against the strangers arm, realizing that they only had one now that their coat was open. “What the HELL??! Why did you just attack him?! You’re lucky your dumb sword is stuck or I would’ve killed you!” she yelled, leaning over the confused being. She could practically  _ hear  _ the adrenaline pump through her, the machete lodged firmly into a large stick she had grabbed to use as a weapon. The sharp blade easily pierced through the solid wood, she didn’t want to think about what it could’ve done to Classified’s  _ head _ . At the first moment she had her stick-machete weapon she started hitting it against the persecutor, getting exactly what she hoped for. An unarmed short person laying confused on the hard ground. After ramming the makeshift weapon against their head the blade wiggled loose, so Charlie opted to shoving it in the ground. Her angered yelling continued until she felt a hand on her shoulder, firmly pulling her away. “Charlie, that’s enough. They’re not going to respond.” Classified muttered lowly, standing at Bounty’s side and leaning forward at a near 90 degree angle, smirking down at them. “You tried, now fuck off before I lodge that blade through your skull.” he said with a cruel smile, grabbing Charlie’s arm and puling her away. 

Bounty gave a weak nod, letting their target leave. This happened too often for them to care too much, their main concern was going back to their boss and having to explain why, for the ninth month in a row, they still have failed to bring Classified in. They silently pulled their torso up to sit, using their machete for support to stand. They had a throbbing headache, and their arm was sore from being crushed under the girls sneaker. They unlodged their blade with great effort and slid it into the sheath on their back, begrudgingly trudging back to their base. They thought about how they would write yet another variation of why they lost and failed, dreading having to stand face to face with their boss another time. It  _ never  _ went well. 

  
  



	4. The Boy with the Cheshire Grin

Bounty trudged through the all too familiar forest back to their base, having memorised the twists and turns and sudden drops as they delved deeper into the woods. Soon the glistening white of the Pale Forest faded, giving way to the thick hectic vines and protruding roots of the unnamed woods their home resided in. No, not their home. It was a base, a place they had no choice but to live in due to their work. It was far from a home, quite the opposite if they thought about it. The only homey assets it had to give was the endearing television and the fact it was decorated to resemble a cozy home. The avian peeled their eyes from the ground up to the black woods of the base, thick ivy crawling up the sides and masking the few windows. Trees loomed over the abandoned warehouse, one seemed to be growing into the building itself.

They stalked up to the heavy door, taking a deep breath to puff out their chest before rapping on the door nine times; that was the ‘code’. A weak one at that. A cheery voice signaled they were allowed to enter as they’d already begun to pry the door open. It groaned on its weakened hinges, eventually opening enough that Bounty could squeeze through and tumble into the warm corridor. They heaved a silent sigh as they forced the door shut, tugging at the golden clasps that held their heavy cape shut as they walked into the main room. They threw the cape onto the battered couch by the wall of the ‘living room,’ as it has been dubbed, before shuffling into the kitchen where they were happily greeted by the television dame. “Hello darling, you’re back sooner than expected. Did your day go well? Anything new?” Bounty was quite fond of Tellie, she was like a mom to them. The woman stood above average at 5’9, her hazelnut skin warm against the soft pink dress she always wore, pale yellow lace lining the sleeveless top and bottom rim. Her boots shared the same hue as her dress and reached just below her knee, the heel giving her an extra two inches of height. Two miniature white angel wings rested between Tellie’s shoulder blades, neatly folded against her back. Her head always puzzled Bounty, a silver box TV with two antenna that stuck straight up sat on her perpetually bleeding neck, her face’s always overly exaggerated expressions over a color bar error. They wanted to know  _ why  _ she was like she was; she appeared to be avian like themselves, but with a TV replacing her head and with very tiny wings. Though it would have to remain a mystery as Bounty was much too nervous to ask, they assumed it would be offensive. 

Tellie patiently awaited an answer as the small avian shuffled through the kitchen, shaking their head at her first inquiry and shaking it again at the second. “Why’s that? You don’t seem too shaken up... if you are, I’d be more than happy to fix some tea for you. I got some peppermint, which is supposed to be good for sickness and such, I wouldn’t quite know of course, but that’s what I’ve heard.” she let out a soft sigh as she abandoned the stove to pick up Bounty’s cape, combing her gloved hands through the thick black fur that ran along the rim of the neck before hanging it up by the door. Bounty simply shook their head again, tilting their head towards their shoulder slightly as they shrugged. Tellie nodded in response, returning to her pot on the rickety stove. It was nothing fancy, but she had grown accustomed to the broken down equipment she had to work with. “Ivan’s in his room if you need to report to him today, but don’t take too long, dinner will be ready quite soon,” she said with a tinge of caution. She knew Ivan wasn’t the easiest to speak to. Especially for Bounty; other than him being their boss, he has displayed some...  _ poor  _ behaviors around the timid avian. Tellie watched endearingly as the small being waved her goodbye, letting out a soft huff as they moved to the stairway, the soft thumping of their boots fading away as they ascended. 

Bounty slowed when they reached the top of the stairs, giving themselves a moment to breath before continuing to knock of the first door in the hallway. Rapping nine times, as always. They awaited a shout to leave, or the shuffling of feet as their boss moved to answer the door; but nothing came. Bounty awaited in silence for a few moments before knocking again, the air filtered through their mask becoming stiff. They glanced behind them into the dark hallway, wondering for the thirtieth time since it went dead why it hasn’t been fixed, it never makes this voyage any easier. Eventually they let out a slow breath, closing their eyes as they did and pushed the door open, knowing that Ivan would not be happy if they at least didn’t try to communicate. Their eyes scoped the room until they were met with the small body of their boss, sitting slouched on his bed. Bounty took a step back, cold fear creeping up their spine as their eyes were met with the wide empty eyes of Ivan’s. His eyes were drowned out by pale blue, staring at nothing as Bounty cautiously stepped in and waved, trying to catch his attention. After a moment it clicked, this is what Tellie referred to when she said Ivan was ‘resting,’ or ‘taking a moment to recollect himself.’ He was staring off into space, his body limp and his eyes blank. It honestly scared Bounty, more than when he was yelling or attacking them. This was just unnerving. They tapped him lightly on his shoulder, dreading that their hand shook. Their brows knit together when he didn’t respond, shaking him this time.

Ivan’s head suddenly snapped to face Bounty, the pale blue narrowing into thin slits and focussing on the shocked avain. “What.” the boy growled, standing up and brushing off the non-existent dust on his pants. Though Ivan was only a child, at least he had the body of one, he was able to strike more fear into Bounty than any other monster they’ve faced, but in a way he was one. His outfit failed to reflect his personality, unlike Tellies. He wore a light purple button up with the sleeves pushed up past his elbows, black suspenders to match his pants. A neat bowtie that matched the hue of his shirt hung around his neck, something that Bounty refused to question despite their confusion for the need of formal attire. He wasn’t  _ going  _ anywhere. They always avoided looking at that  _ mask  _ he always wore. It resembles a cat, with large narrowed eyes and an unsettling sharp toothy grin plastered on the cool white surface. It sat on the side of his head, whenever it rarely slid to cover his face, it was never for a pleasant reason. 

Bounty stepped back until the back of their knees hit the bed, reluctantly dragging their eyes up to meet Ivan’s cold stare. A pause. “Ah right, your notebook.” he muttered, moving to his dresser to sift through the contents in the first drawer, withdrawing a half filled notebook and pencil, and tossing it to a fidgeting Bounty. “What do you  _ want  _ Bounty Hunter? If Tellie made dinner again, tell-  _ er- write  _ to her that I don’t want it. She should know by now that I don’t eat.” the boy muttered, crossing his arms impatiently across his chest. Bounty gave a rushed nod, lifting a knee to use their thigh as a table and scribbling down their answer before turning it to face Ivan. ‘ _ She knows by now, it’s best to join. I came in for my report, sorry for bothering you. I could always leave.’  _ When the boy nodded to signal he was finished, Bounty lowered their notebook. “Right, right, your report thing..” he paused, glancing to the door. “By the way, if you come in and see me like that, just  _ leave _ . That’s not something I want you interrupting, it causes issues with Vyx.” he said lowly, averting his eyes back to the bird. Bounty nodded quickly, putting the pencil to paper to ask who Vyx was. Ivan’s never mentioned a Vyx, and they wondered if it had to do with his constant need for isolation. They got maybe two words down before realizing it’s probably best not question him at the time if they wanted to keep their head. They stole a glance back to Ivan, meeting his eyes narrowed with impatience for a split second before hurriedly scrawling the answer they dreaded the most. Words were scratched out and rewritten multiple times, the handwriting messy and inconsistent from Bounty’s shaking hand.  _ ‘<strike>Who is</strike> I <strike>didn’t</strike> wasn’t able to <strike>capture</strike> succeed in my goal you gave me. <strike>I’m really</strike> I apologize, Classified had a <strike>girl</strike> ally with him today. The ally deflected my attacks and left with him.’  _ They could feel Ivan boring into their head, keeping their gaze down as they held the paper up for him to read. They didn’t want to watch as his impatient frown shifted to a snarl, then he sighed, letting his expression fall to something more calm, but still obviously angered. “Bounty, are you  _ incapable  _ of this task? I would love to do it myself, really, but if you have  _ forgotten _ , I apparently can’t go outside without someone trying to hunt my ass. So it would be  _ great _ , absolutely  _ lovely  _ if you could complete this  _ simple  _ task, and I’ll let you keep your other arm. Alright?” he said in a mock positive tone, a strained grin on his face. Bounty dared to glance up at him, cringing at the sharp toothed smile he displayed. They gave a curt nod before scurrying out, ignoring the low growl from the boy as they threw the notebook back into his room.

Ivan growled lowly as the notebook and pencil were thrown back into his room, watching it slide across the floor. He was fed up with Bounty’s constant failure, and his inability to leave without being cautious. He wanted to just go outside and burn this rotting building to the ground, with Tellie and Bounty inside, to hear their screams as they sizzled into dust. He grimaced as he heard the cheery voice of Tellie inviting him down to eat, responding with a growled insult. After a few minutes he shuffled downstairs, disregarding either beings at the table as he sat down, keeping his eyes down. “Love, are you feeling alright? You look pale, I could make you some tea..” the television said softly, placing a plate in front of him and Bounty. “I’m  _ fine _ , Tellie. Of course I’m pale, I have been since you met me. Plus, I don’t exactly go outside during the day, do I?” he sneered, offering her a false smile. Bounty averted their eyes, curling in on themselves slightly. “Ivan, please. I know you haven’t had the best week, but try to be more positive. You can go out after dinner, the sun sets earlier this side of the calendar.” Ivan sighed, butting his forehead against the table, earning a startled gasp from Bounty and a concerned sigh from Tellie. “I technically am, I’m smiling and everything. And I’ll go out now, _ thank you very much _ . I don’t eat.” he growled, pressing his palms against the side of the table to shove the chair out, standing up and marching towards the door. “At least be careful, love-” “Don’t fuckin call me that, it’s not your place.” the boy growled as the door groaned shut, too heavy on it’s worn hinges to slam. Tellie let out a defeated sigh, sliding into her chair next to Bounty, who was nearly shaking. “You don’t have to eat if you don’t wish to, dear.. I might power down early tonight, just.. Just let me know if you need anything, and leave the door unlocked for Ivan. He usually doesn’t stay out long.” she said softly, running her hand through Bounty’s curled hair before getting up and stalking towards her room, leaving the startled avian alone in the kitchen. 

  
  
  



	5. A Cabin in the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tried a different formatting for this one, thought it read a bit easier so I might keep it. Lemme know what you think, or if you have any suggestions! It's all greatly appreciated!!

Charlie stumbled along as she was pulled away by her wrist, her blood still boiling. “Who was that?? Why- why did they just attack you?! That’s so- that’s just shitty! They could've killed you! And we’re just walking away? We gotta call the police or something! How are you so calm?? They had a sword!” Charlie fumed, waving her free arm in the air.

“It was a machete, but that aside, you need to calm down, they’re not a danger. It happens.” Classified said evenly, giving a half hearted shrug. He watched Charlie stumble behind him, her body angled and her feet trailing behind as they tried to keep up with the speed of her body. He didn’t slow down, she’d have to deal. 

“‘ _ It happens _ ’?? That’s normal?! People just swing by waving swords at your head? And you’re  _ ok  _ with that?!” Charlie was still fuming a bit, some of the adrenaline fading as her anger started to subside. This crazy world was starting to get to her. Classified did strike her as odd, but he just looked human with fancy contacts, or maybe some high-tech prosthetic eye. But someone with functional wings? Unless this world was just a giant comic-con, there’s no explanation why someone would just have those. It’s been stuck in her head, those golden feathered wings flapping and shifting with each move of the attacker. 

“I suppose so, yes. Bounty swings by a couple times a week trying to ‘capture’ me, it makes sense, since they are... you know, a bounty hunter. I think that’s even their name,” he huffed. “I’ve grown tired of their game by now, I don't want to kill them, even though I have the power to. I’m waiting for them to give up and leave me alone, I don’t favor having to keep my eye out for someone waiting in the trees.” He glanced up at the branches, just in case. He hated being so paranoid, Bounty was small, and weak, but they were smart. He needed to be alert for their presence at all times, or at least around the times they always came by, on those particular days. Maybe they weren’t the smartest.

Charlie picked up her pace for a minute to catch up to Classified, tired of being dragged along.

“Like, it’s become some kind of game? A thing you know about and just go with it? Why don’t you call the police?” Charlie ignored the confused glance she got from the man when she mentioned police, she refuses to believe there aren’t police here. “Buddy, seriously. This is kinda dangerous, I’m pretty sure you would've gotten that sword jabbed into your head if I wasn’t here. Doesn’t that scare you? Dying?” she asked, holding her arm out at her side slightly before letting it drop.

Classified paused, his eye trained on the exasperated expression of the human he was dragging along with him. Why was she so obsessed with asking questions? Knowing things, why did she want to know if he fears death? He didn’t, he knew that. He wasn’t alive, for starters. So he can’t fear something that can never reach him. “A game to me, to them it’s a job. And no, it doesn’t scare me. I can’t die, technically, so I have no reason to fear it,” he muttered, letting his hand loosen and slip form Charlie’s wrist. His gaze realigned to the path in front of him, his brows furrowing a bit. Did he fear death? He couldn’t die, but he could lose consciousness, he could become less than he is now… No. No he doesn’t, he wouldn’t care, he  _ doesn’t  _ care. He has nothing here anyways, nothing to live for if he was living. 

Charlie’s face furrowed with confusion, “You’re not.. human? Are you joking or.. like, I don’t mean to sound super dramatic or cheesy, but how’re you not human?” she asked quietly, caution creeping into her voice. If this guy was some demon or something, she was not going to stick around. No thanks. 

He glanced to the side, questioning why Charlie would ask that. He nodded softly to himself, remembering she wasn’t from here. Apparently she was from somewhere only humans existed, maybe animals as well. “Oh, well I’m glad I’m convincing.” he paused, suddenly wondering if he should tell her. “I’m.. uh, right. Well, not human. Obviously.” he muttered, shifting his gaze to the white forest floor. He felt some uncertainty, like telling her was a bad idea, it almost hurt physically. Why is this random human child bothering him so much? He shouldn’t care if she died, or if she knew he wasn’t human. Yet, he does. And that bothered him more than the unease he felt, this dumb emotion was going to get him killed. 

“Well.. yea, you mentioned that when we met, but like,  _ what  _ are you? I mean, I guess you don’t have to tell me but it would be great if you did.” she watched as his expression grew more uneasy, more reluctant to tell her. “Dude, if you’re self conscious that’s cool, I don’t really care. I just wanna know if you’re an immediate threat or something.. Or if you can fly or some shit, I dunno.” she said cooly, craning her neck to see his expression better. Yea, he was definitely self conscious, it was easy to recognize when you practically lived at high school. 

Classified shot Charlie a look, almost offended that she would assume he  _ cared _ . “What? Of course not, I’m almost certain I’m not even equipped with that emotion. If any,” he muttered lowly, letting out a gruff sigh. “I’m.. I'm a robot, or cyborg. Well, I’m fully mechanical, so not a cyborg. Robot.” he murmured, hating the hesitance in his voice. He didn’t care, he reminded himself. 

Charlie raised an eyebrow, then both shot up, her eyes flickering over the shaded face in front of her. “Well, I guess that explains the eye. That’s.. that’s actually pretty cool though, like, you’re a robot, kinda like from the movies. It’s neat, y’know?” Charlie offered a half smile, feeling obliged to try and make him feel more comfortable. 

Classified let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, relieved she didn’t kick him or try running away, he doesn’t want to go through the effort to find her in the woods. “I suppose it does, and.. don’t assume this means you’re not in immediate danger, I am a very destructive being, I just don’t like messes,” he gave a strained sort of smile, ignoring the initial disturbance on Charlie’s face. “So, yes, that explains my eye... and I would slow down a bit, it gets steeper here.” he warned, his pace slowing to a cautious one as he grabbed Charlies shoulder, promptly stopping her. The ground they walked on suddenly dropped into a steep hill, the powder feathering away into overgrown grass and weeds, trees pressed close together with branches stooping down into the faded path in the thicker forest. 

Charlie wavered to a stop, her next step swinging over the drop before she retraced her steps, leaning over to peer through the leaves. “That’s the path you were talking about..? I thought it was the opposite way, I didn't mention it because of that crazy bird person but we’ve been going the wrong way..” her voice trailed off as Classified began carefully trotting down the hill, his arms sticking out slightly for balance. The human followed, her footfalls heavy and choppy as she sputtered behind the android. She watched in admiration as he gracefully floated down, his steps planned and knowing, barely making a sound. Compared to her own jagged steps, her knees locking randomly and the common threat of rolling down constantly scaring her. When they reached the bottom, Charlie’s shoes stained green from ripping the grass like a mower, she took in the new surroundings. It was much like the forest she first entered when she left the clearing, except fuller and more overgrown. The poisonous white was left behind, coming to a sudden stop at the hill, she was thankful for that, she could finally breathe again. Taking a deep breath of fresh air scented by the numerous trees and plants she turned to face Classified, who was watching her with expectancy. 

The android was glad to be in his own nook of the woods, a place that was hidden away from the rest of society. He waited for Charlie to gain her bearings, realizing she had been breathing in the toxic air of the Pale Forest for some time now. That explains why she read as intoxicated when he first found her. “No, I switched directions after my tussle with Bounty. If I kept going that way they would’ve kept trying, so I decided to return here. Hope you don’t mind, I do, but I don’t have much of a choice but to bring you with me.” he muttered, grabbing Charlie’s wrist and dragging her away yet again. He let out a single chuckle at her aggravated huff, only gripping tighter when she tried wiggling her hand free. 

Charlie let herself be dragged away after she failed to wiggle free, shooting a sharp glare in Classifieds direction. “You do know I can just follow you, right? You don’t have to drag me around like a child.” she grumbled, shoving her free hand in her pocket. 

“You are a child, and I don’t trust you can follow me, you can barely keep pace,” he said, glancing behind himself to return her glare. “It won’t last long, I’m going to let you stay the night so I can deliver you to the path and let you handle it. I’m not a babysitter, I’m just being rigorously generous.” he said, returning his gaze forward. His grip on her wrist did ease somewhat, but it tightened when she started wiggling it loose again. 

Charlie gave a miffed huff, rolling her eyes as she trotted alongside the cloaked figure. She stayed quiet for the bulk of the walk, piping up when she saw a log cabin exque building in the distance, covered with overgrown ivy and weeds. “Uh, is that like.. Is this a neighborhood?” she asked, quickening her stride to be beside him.

Classified looked to her with inquisitive frown, looking ahead to the meager shack. “No, that’s my dwelling, I’m letting you stay for the night.” he mumbled, grudgingly releasing the girl’s wrist. As they approached he regretted his decision more and more, wishing he had just stuck with his original plan. He lead her to the decrepit home, digging an iron key from a pocket in his cloak and jamming it into the keyhole, having to work to get the door open. The door creaked on its rusted hinges as he opened it just enough for the two of them to enter, slamming it shut the second Charlie stepped foot into the rustic cabin. “Don’t touch a thing, if you do, I’m throwing you out for the third generation wolves. I’ll start a fire, since you won’t survive without it.” he said with contempt, moving to the back of the room to find some firewood. 

The house was made up of two rooms, the one Charlie had walked into was covered with an assortment of different items, mostly furs and thick fabrics folded on tables or hung on the wall. A few severed animal heads peered down at her with glass eyes, some of which she couldn’t recognise. The bookshelf stood up to the ceiling, littered with dusty books of varying sizes and many miscellaneous objects, they reminded her of magic and cursed objects. A bed sat in the corner, blankets and pillows thrown haphazardly onto it. There was a round window above the brick fireplace, giving view of the trees surrounding the small building. 

The second room was closed off with a door, it was locked, she discovered by trying to open it. “This is your house? It looks like a haunted cabin where some old witch would live. Cool, I kinda hate the animal heads though, they keep staring at me.” she said, a chill rising up her spine, causing her to shiver. 

The android lugged an armful of wood logs and cast them into the fire place, moving past a shivering Charlie to search for matches. “That’s most likely because they are, most of those creatures are possessed, demons, or something of the sorts. Don’t look directly at them and you’ll be fine.” he badgered, an inkling of a smile tugging on his lips as the human jumped back, immediately shifting her gaze to the wooden floor. Once he found his matches he went to the pile of logs to light some kindling.

“Christ, that’s creepy. Why would you keep those in your house..” the girl grumbled to herself, shuffling across the floor to sit by Classified, who was crouched by the fire place with a box of matches. “Hey, I was wondering, what’s that? It looks really cool.” she said, pointing to the orb on the neck of Classified’s cape, the brilliant orange shifting to a strong red as it reached the center, a black cross cutting through the color with pointed ends. 

Classified raised a brow, looking down to where she pointed. “Oh, it’s a glassed demon eye. It keeps demons away from me.” he muttered, cursing as yet another match failed to light the fire.

“Wouldn’t it attract demons? I thought crosses kept them away, is it magic?”

“No, it’s not magic or anything.” 

“What is it then?”

“A warning.” 

“Oh.” Charlie blinked, slightly stunned. “That’s.. kinda gross. Did someone give it to you?” she asked, trying to pry some conversation from the silent, monotone figure. So far this day has been painful, confusing and boring. Not too different from how it was during school, but she was hoping she would get some kind of break for being in a magical fantasy world, but noo, she has to be stuck with this pessimistic robot mystery guy who can’t light a fire for the life of him. 

“No, I got it myself, it’s a better warning that way.” he mumbled, hissing another curse as the fire still refused to light. “Do you actually need a fire to stay warm?” he grumbled, turning to Charlie. 

She responded with a halfhearted shrug, “I mean, I guess not, but it would be nice. Why? Can’t get it yourself?” she taunted, poking him in the arm. She found it humorous that he couldn’t light a fire, at least there was something she could poke fun at while she was stuck here. She huffed short laugh when he cursed again, dropping the half empty box of matches at her feet and leaving. “Don’t be a sour-puss about it, I’m sure you’ll get it.” she teased, snorting at his grumbly curses. 

“Ah fuck you too, wether you light it or not is your issue now.” he grumbled, unclasping his cape and hanging it up on the door, doing the same for his hat. He let out a slow breath as he ran his hands through his rustled hair, the pale brown locks sweeping back only to fall forward into their usual swoop. He should probably cut his hair soon, he didn’t particularly like the style it always fell in due to his hat. As he shuffled to his bed, littered with wool blankets and furs he never used. He hooked his thumb under a glove, stopping before he took it off, stealing a glance back to the human, sitting cross-legged by a growing fire. Fuck her. Eventually he sighed, pulling the glove back up past his elbow and sitting on the bed, watching Charlie push herself up and promptly chuck an empty match box at his face. 

Charlie watched with a satisfied chuckle as Classified flinched backwards, the box hitting him and ricocheting off his cheek. Gottem. She raised her eyebrows when she noticed he took off his hat, finally letting her see what he looked like without a shadow drowning out every feature. His skin was unnaturally pale, light brown hair falling into an upward swoop near the front, the rest was messy and tousled. His red eye stood out a bit less without the shadow, but still contrasted with the black crater on the other side. Heavy bags rested under both ‘eyes’, the same color creating a bridge over his nose and cheeks, almost like grey blush. He looked kinda dead.

“Why is it empty? Did you seriously use the rest so fast?” he asked in confusion, picking up the empty box. 

“Yup, I lit the box of matches on fire then threw the whole thing in. Smarter method than trying with just one.” she responded, plopping down on the bed and chuckling as Classified immediately scooched over. 

Classified sighed, dragging a hand down his face. Idiot. “Alright, I suppose that works for one night. Speaking of which, you aren’t sleeping on my bed. Get off.” he muttered, pulling Charlie by her hood onto the floor. He ignored her complaints and protests, flinging a few of the thicker blankets down at her, enough to make a makeshift bed. “You’ll be fine, it’s only a few hours till day break.” he muttered, slinking down to lay on the bed and rolling over. He didn’t close his eye, just waited and listened as Charlie shuffled about making her bed by the fire. He wasn’t sleeping, he needed to be sure of her whereabouts. 

Charlie grumbled weak curses as she dragged the blankets by the fire, folding them over themselves to make a semi-comfortable mattress. “Yea, alright thanks, buddy.” she muttered, slithering under a blanket and closing her eyes. She just wanted this to be over with, to get to that path and find the nearest train station. To get home and continue on like this hadn't happened. She let out a slow breath, wishing that this was some dream. She knew how cliche it sounded, even in her head, but it would make everything so much easier. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, come back soon! Kudos and comments are appreciated!! 
> 
> Find me here  
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> 
> thankie thankie lads


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